Wireless communication systems are widely used to provide voice and data services for multiple users using a variety of access terminals such as cellular telephones, laptop computers and various multimedia devices. Such communication systems can encompass local area networks, such as IEEE 802.11 networks, cellular telephone and/or mobile broadband networks. The communication systems can use one or more multiple access techniques, such as Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) and others. Mobile broadband networks can conform to a number of system types or partnerships such as, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), 3rd-Generation standards (3G), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), IEEE 802.11 networks, Evolution-Data Optimized EV-DO, or Long Term Evolution (LTE).
As wireless networks have become more pervasive, many user devices are now configured to access more than one wireless network. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, user device 102, is configured to access three networks, for example IEEE 802.11 network 104, IEEE 802.16 network 106, and 3GPP network 108. In such a multiple-interface device, each interface may involve other network technologies, such as, but are not limited to GSM, GPRS, LTE, WiMAX, CDMA2000, WLAN, etc. These individual wireless technologies may use different wireless access technologies that include but are not limited to TDMA, CDMA, or OFDMA.
When multiple interfaces in a user device shares the same battery, and if power consumption is optimized only within each individual interface technology, the user device may consume more power than a user device having a single interface. FIG. 2 illustrates three single interface user devices 120, 122 and 124, represented by a cellular phone and a battery, that individually operate on an 802.11, 802.16, and a 3GPP or 3GPP2 network, respectively. Each of these devices will drain their respective battery at a rate commensurate with normal operation of the single interface device. As the wireless device with a single radio interface connects to a network, the power management for the radio interface is specific to the network technology of that interface and independent of other network technologies. To achieve longer battery life, the single interface may optimize its power consumption within its specific technology.
A multiple-interface device, however, may drain more power than a single interface device because all interfaces may be simultaneously active and/or periodically receiving transmissions from each of their respective networks. For example, FIG. 3 illustrates the battery drain of multiple interface device 130, represented by a cellular phone and a single battery that interfaces with an 802.11, 802.16 and a 3GPP network.
In the field of power management systems, what is needed are systems and methods that better optimize power consumption for multiple-interface devices.